Pallets have long been used to support goods because they provide a single, movable platform upon which goods can be supported and moved, they permit air circulation beneath the goods, and, most importantly, they support the goods in a raised position to permit the insertion of a fork lift beneath the goods. Although pallets have been made from a variety of materials, pallets are most commonly made from wooden boards which are nailed together. Wooden pallets, however, are difficult to dispose of in an environmentally responsible manner. Wood is a strong, hard material, the components of a wooden pallet are difficult to separate and the nails in the pallets require separation from the wooden components.
The prior art has recognized the desirability of forming pallets of recyclable material, such as fiberboard, paperboard, and corrugated board. Such materials are not only considerably more easily broken down into recyclable materials, but these recyclable materials can be utilized for manufacturing new fiberboard, paperboard, and corrugated board for manufacture into new pallets.
A principal problem which has been experienced in fabricating pallets of these materials results from the inherent weakness of the initial, relatively thin materials such as paperboard and kraft paper. These materials must be formed into structures providing sufficient strength to function as pallets. Therefore, much attention has been given to forming these fibrous sheet materials into structures which have suitable shapes and sizes to provide sufficient strength, while allowing the economical and efficient use of the raw materials. Interrelated to the strength of the structures themselves is the need to provide a method for fabricating and assembling pallets from fibrous materials in a manner which simultaneously produces a sufficiently strong and rigid pallet, while minimizing production costs.
Patents showing pallets constructed of such fiber based materials include U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,867,074; 4,802,421; and 4,792,325.
However, the pallets disclosed in these patents, together with pallets and related subject matter disclosed in patents cited in the information disclosure statement filed in connection with this patent, suffer from various disadvantages with respect to strength and/or ease of fabrication. For example, several require the insertion of a tubular component into a mating hole in another component, which is a more difficult fabrication step than merely laying one component atop another. Others exhibit insufficient strength.
It is therefore an object and feature of the present invention to provide a pallet constructed of fiber based board materials showing both improved strength and improved ease of manufacture.